The Getaway (California Edition)

Starring…Wait for it…You!

Weary of the waterlogged winter blahs? Cabin fever got you down? Our cardinal rule for apartment living has always been to keep a list of Weekend Getaways, one for every possible whim, mood, ambition, or price point. We call these hotels directly for reservations, Weekend Specials, and—for all us old fogies!—the Senior Discount (the nightly price points shown here come straight off Google Maps with no negotiation).

We’ve been fortunate to live in two of the most Getaway-rich environments of the country, California and New England, so we’ll eventually be covering both, along with that classic Getaway haven, the British Isles. For now, in no particular order, if you’re in the mood for an escape with a dime or two to drop on restoring your sanity, let’s get after it in (allegedly) Sunny California…

Hotel del Coronado

Coronado (San Diego) - (619) 435-6611 - $550.

If it was good enough for Gerald Ford and Leonid Brezhnev, it’s good enough for us. All kinds of history in this legendary oceanfront resort, but we’d come just for the cheeseburgers on the beach.

Two Bunch Palms

Desert Hot Springs - (760) 676-5000 - $475.

Al Capone’s favorite, and one of ours too. Midnight swims in the hot spring pool. Mud baths and massages as featured in the movie The Player.

Montecito Inn

Santa Barbara - (805) 969-7854 - $448.

Our favorite hotel restaurant anywhere (try the goat cheese pancakes with caviar). Head out to Lucky’s Bar next door for the best martinis and people-watching in the State. Midnight swims are strictly forbidden, which makes them so much fun (take the fire escape and play dumb).

The Inn at Death Valley (Furnace Creek Inn)

Death Valley - (760) 786-2345 - $286.

Never forget your gas tank and water bottle(s). Start with the little brochure from the Ranger Station and shock yourself with how much there is to see and do. Probably not a great jaunt for August. If you enjoy photography, wake up before sunrise and head over to Zabriskie Point or the dunes at Stovepipe Wells.

La Valencia Hotel

La Jolla - (855) 476-6870 - $429.

One of the original Grande Dame hotels built up and down the coast to lure visitors and settlers from parts East. It worked its magic on us! We’ve been known to hold out for a bungalow behind the hotel near the pool. All kinds of great restaurants in the town.

Hyatt Carmel Highlands (Highlands Inn)

Carmel Highlands - (831) 620-1234 - $359.

We used to ditch the kids for Christmas here, but now we meet the grandchildren for long weekends. Drive up to Carmel for breakfast or down the Big Sur for a truly spectacular view (and lunch/dinner) at Nepenthe.

Hotel Bel-Air

Los Angeles - (310) 472-1211 - $1,065.

We save this one for anniversaries. Get the in-room hot tub patio and dine with the stars (both local and celestial) in the superb restaurant. Wander around the gorgeous gardens. You might call it rent-a-life (without the option to buy).

Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel

Catalina Island - (310) 510-0966 - $250.

We liked them better when they offered no TV, no internet, and no telephone to tempt our work psychoses. Even with the march of progress, this is a wonderful, intimate retreat and a perfect counter to the craziness of Avalon. Bring a book.

RMS Queen Mary

Long Beach - (562) 435-3510 - $272.

We won the Eisenhower Suite in a promo, so we can’t speak to the standard rooms. But Ben proposed to Glinda here (at Sir Winston’s—still highly recommended, even without the expensive champagne it took to get her to say, “If you insist…”). And they just brought back the Sunday Brunch, so there’s that.

Beverly Hills Hotel

Beverly Hills - (310) 276-2251 - $1,245.

We’ve met some of the strangest, most colorful wealthy people in the world here. The Polo Lounge isn’t what it was (who of us is?), but still ranks as one of the best lounges in the city. Our favorite Greek restaurant in Los Angeles, Avra, is a stone’s throw away on Beverly Drive.